


Hero

by doctortrekkie



Series: Break Me Down and Build Me Up [15]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Cheve Plotline Continues, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dancing, Gen, I cannot be contained, I'm very sorry, Politics, Whoops again, You can probably guess where this one is going, and I had to split it, because this family doesn't have enough issues, but it kind of spiraled out of control, let's give Xander some major survivor's guilt, now this is three chapters?, this was going to be all one chapter, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-11 19:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20551532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctortrekkie/pseuds/doctortrekkie
Summary: Cheve’s boil has returned to a simmer, but only time will tell how long it will last. Camilla and Leo return to Krakenburg, determined to keep secret the part the latter played in setting off three days of riots, but playing at normality is harder than it seems when the entire world is quickly picking sides in the conflict.A conflict that is soon to hit a whole lot closer to home.On the cusp of what will be a tumultuous year, the Nohrian royal family unknowingly spends their last day with two cherished friends.(Takes place a year and a half before the beginning of Fates and five days afterRiddle;December 634/January 635)





	1. Carry You Through

**Author's Note:**

> Well, after being the working title of no less than three fics in this series, _Revolution_ by The Score has officially/unofficially been booted off the Heart of Stone Playlist. Whoops. (For reference, it was the original title for _Love,_ then moved to the next-to-last fic in the series which has now been taken over by _Aggression_ by Palisades; it THEN ended up replacing _Imaginary_ by Evanescense on this fic before losing its place yet again. Poor song.) Never fear, though--it IS Scarlet's theme, after all, so I'm sure it'll make an appearance later on in the series one way or another. But anyways, here's the link to [today's song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziZJeM25tzg&list=PLD1aPrpW6AsAkbU5ic3UQKua8UabnpcL8&index=13&t=0s) (And brace yourselves, everyone, because things only get worse from here...)

_ You see the black clouds twisting, the sun’s going down, and every last savior has left the town, and I know you’re searching for a little bit of light… (Let me be your hero, I’ll carry you through…) _

**Castle Krakenburg, Windmire, Nohr**

“Forgive my frankness, but I must say that this is a sorry sight indeed, Lord Leo.”

“What is the _ point,” _ Leo replied without missing a beat and without looking up, “of going to such _ ridiculous lengths _ to disguise oneself with all this _ frippery _if everyone recognizes each other anyways?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have recognized you, except that I can think of no one else at this ball who would rather be sulking in the corner and reading.”

Leo sighed, finally glancing up from his smuggled reading material. Adding to his complaints about the lack of anonymity, he’d already recognized his conversational partner by voice alone. The woman’s pink hair, even tightly coiled and pinned on the back of her head, was even more utterly unmistakable. “Viola, I ought to have you know that reading is an intellectual and noble pursuit.”

“Until you use it as an excuse to avoid any form of socialization whatsoever.”

Leo quirked a brow in the direction of his brother’s retainer as she settled beside him. The ridiculous mask he wore—modeled after the plumage of some obscure tropical bird—annoyingly obstructed his view of her. “It’s not _ my _fault my father invites the most boring people in the country to an annual display of tackiness in some attempt to display of the depths of his wealth—a tradition that is painfully insensitive at best, considering the fact that it occurs at the beginning of the most difficult time of year our people face.”

A moment passed before Viola barked a sharp laugh that somehow still rang with her usual melodic tones. “Well, I suppose I need not inquire your opinion on the matter, now do I?”

“It would seem redundant at this point, yes.”

Viola shook her head. “And here I thought you just disliked the fact you had to dress up.”

“Oh, believe me, I dislike that part too,” Leo replied, gesturing across the room to where Camilla was twirling her hair in the direction of some poor, unprepared young viscount who couldn’t seem to keep his eyes on her face, then toward a bouncing, chattering Elise as she made her way through one of the buffet lines. “That complaint, however, often seems to fall on deaf ears, as it seems I’m the only one in the family who has a problem with it.”

“Perhaps because you’re the only one in the family who can’t seem to keep track of their every article of clothing?” Viola asked. “By the way, your shoes are on the wrong feet.”

Leo’s tone immediately changed from haughty to mortified. “What? No, I checked—and _ then _I made Niles check—” He lifted his foot onto his lap, his book sliding to the side of his chair.

Viola, meanwhile, snickered. Leo sniffed, realizing he’d been had.

“I’m telling Xander,” he said, slowly lowering his leg back to the floor.

“Sorry, Lord Leo,” Viola said, a wry smile still twisting her lips. “You’re an easy mark sometimes.”

“You made me lose my place,” Leo continued, thumbing through his book once more.

Viola shook her head with a soft sigh. “It’s good to see you back,” she finally said. “It’s been quiet without you and Lady Camilla.” She paused, then added, “Lady Corrin misses you quite dearly, as well.”

Leo’s heart leapt in his chest at that, though he kept his gaze firmly fixed on his book. “I aim to visit her tomorrow if I can get away,” he said, hoping his tone stayed level enough to not betray the sheer _ joy _that surged through him at the thought.

Gods, what he wouldn’t give for Corrin to be here with him now… She’d certainly enjoy the entire affair far more than he did.

“Good,” said Viola. “If you need any help getting away, I’d be glad to lend you a hand.” She paused, her voice dropping into something far more significant. “On this matter or any other.”

Leo shot her a sharp look, his stomach dropping out from under him. “I’m afraid I—” He started.

_ Screaming, cursing, the very streets of Chevalier alive with rage— _

“Lady Camilla told me,” Viola added in a low tone. “Just in case Hans tries to pin something on you. I’ll not speak of it to Lord Xander.”

Leo swallowed and forced out a stiff nod. “My thanks,” he managed. If there was anyone in the castle he would trust with the knowledge of his recent involvement in the Chevalier riots, it would be Viola. She’d been serving Xander—alongside his other retainer, Asmund—since the crown prince himself had been younger than Leo. At this point, the two were practically family to the younger Nohrian siblings.

“And I must say,” his brother’s retainer continued, “I’m just glad to see you came home in one piece.”

Leo bit the inside of his cheek, then said, “The sentiment is mutual.”

After a moment, Viola’s tone lightened significantly. “Now, you’d still do well to put that book away. I heard a few of the young ladies looking for you earlier.”

Leo resisted the urge to pointedly gag. “I have no desire to humor every pretty girl I run across who wishes to use my status to get into the good graces of the court.”

A beat passed before Viola let out a delicate laugh. “Why, Lord Leo, while I understand your sentiment, you are officially the _ only _seventeen-year-old boy I’ve ever met who would rather pass a night away with his nose in a book instead of in the arms of a beautiful young lady.”

“A position I accept with both great honor as well as a profound sadness for the state of mankind,” Leo replied.

“By the way,” Viola said, and although Leo couldn’t see the twinkle in her eyes through her elaborate gold mask, he knew it was there. “I am including your brother in that statement.”

“Gods, did you have to say that?” Leo asked with a sigh. “I could have lived without that mental image.”

Viola only let out a mild laugh at that. “Someday you might change your mind.”

“About women in general or about my distaste in pondering my elder brother’s romantic life?” Leo riposted.

He just caught her wink, that time. “Fair enough,” she said. “However, I seem to remember the fact that you’re technically obligated to dance at least once.”

Leo resisted the urge to groan at the reminder. “Maybe I have already,” he demurred.

“A likely tale, but not one I’ll buy,” Voila replied. He momentarily cursed the fact that she was almost-but-not-quite old enough to be his mother, as well as the fact that she’d known him since the tender age of eight.

“Come now,” she said. “Better to get it out of the way with me then worry about one of those pretty girls fluttering their lashes at you, isn’t it?”

“Viola,” he sighed, “I’m trying to _ read.” _

“That’s the funny thing about books,” she said, extending a hand to him. “They say the same thing when you come back to them later.”

With another exaggerated exhale, Leo set his book aside once more and rose to his feet. “Let it be known I’m humoring you for Xander’s sake,” he said.

“Sure,” Viola said.

She took his arm as they made their way toward the center of the room, Leo nodding his head at a few of the more notable faces present as they went. “Have you heard from Silas?” he asked, hoping to steer the conversation back into more neutral territory.

“I have,” Viola replied. “He made it home a few days ago.”

Leo nodded to himself, drawing the older woman into a suitably courtly display that could hardly lay claim on the title of ‘dancing.’ “Good to hear. I hope he enjoys himself.”

“His father’s over the moon to have another knight officially in the family, I’ve heard,” Viola said. “It’s a pity you missed the ceremony.”

Another nod. Every winter solstice, the up-and-coming Nohrian knights held vigil over the longest night of the year before coming before the king for the annual accolade the next day. The most common way to put oneself forth as a potential knight was to become a squire during one’s fourteenth year, serving a knight of the realm until the solstice of one’s eighteenth year, but it wasn’t the only method. In Nohr, almost anyone held the potential to become a knight by performing an act the current monarchy deemed suitably valiant, and such a person would simply be grouped in with the upcoming crop of fourth-year squires. For generations, most of the knights from the Krakenburg line had followed the latter path, with their typical royal duties precluding a more traditional squirehood.

Of course, to absolutely no one’s surprise, Xander had been knighted at eighteen with his peers—though having only been ten himself at the time, Leo honestly couldn’t remember which of his brother’s many achievements had technically earned him the title.

“You might be in there with them next year,” Viola pointed out, “since you do come of age this summer.”

Leo answered with a noncommittal hum to that. While managing to keep pace with his brother on something as important as knighthood was undeniably appealing, he didn’t especially care to dwell on just what an act his father would deem ‘suitably valiant’ might be.

When she seemed to realize Leo didn’t plan on contributing any more on the subject, Viola shifted it once more. “I know it might not be obvious, but Silas is thrilled to death you chose him as a retainer,” she said. “And Asmund and I are as well, really. You know he’s fond of the boy. He’ll be glad to be able to keep an eye on him.”

Leo allowed a faint smile to grace his lips. “It seems the entire arrangement turned out beneficially on all sides,” he said. “I, for one, am mainly looking forward to having an extra set of hands around.”

“I’m sure you are,” Viola said with a slight chuckle.

“With any luck, he’ll have returned before Camilla and I have to make our way back to Chevalier,” Leo mused. “Well, perhaps not lucky for Silas, having to room with Niles and all…” Her chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh and a wave of tension seemed to melt from Leo’s shoulders. Truly, Xander’s retainers had a lightness to them that served perfect counterpoint to the crown prince’s sternness and lent quiet ease to the rest of the royal family as well. “And your daughter?” Leo asked. “How fares she of late?”

Viola’s gaze softened with the unmistakable edge of maternal fondness. “She’s lovely,” she said. “Gods, I can’t believe she’ll be four this year. Asmund says she looks more like me every day, but all I can see in her face is him.” She reached a self-conscious hand back to brush at the tight knot of hair on the back of her head. “Must be the pink.”

“Must be,” Leo said, only to break off at the sight of the very man they spoke of. “Good evening, Asmund.”

Asmund nodded in return as he paused just behind Viola, though his eyes were tight and his lips thin. “Lord Leo,” he said. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to steal back my wife from you.”

“Is something the matter?” Leo asked, letting his grip drop from Viola’s waist. His eyes darted back to a few paces behind Asmund, watching the crowd part like a sea for the figure that stood a head and shoulders above them. “Xander?” Leo added.

“Nothing’s the matter,” Xander said as he came within whispering distance, in a low tone that said there was something _ very much _the matter. “Not here, at least.”

_ Not here. _Did he mean that whatever was wrong wasn’t to do with Krakenburg or merely that they couldn’t discuss it in the open? Leo’s first thought was that it was likely both. Hardly daring to raise his voice, he murmured, “Is it Cheve?”

Xander shot him a stern look. “Not _ here, _Leo,” he repeated, turning on his heel.

Both, then. And no denial of Leo’s guess, which meant it was probably right. Without waiting for a response, Xander inclined his head toward his two retainers and they fell to flank him in an easy, practiced motion.

“Xander, wait,” Leo said, hurriedly striding after them.

“There’s no need for you to come, Leo,” Xander said over his shoulder. “Go back to the party.”

“At least tell me what’s going on,” Leo insisted, cursing his elder brother’s long legs as they reached the fringes of the crowd, then swiftly left it behind in favor of candlelit hallways. “If it’s Cheve, I think I have a right to know. I’m the one who’s been there for the last two months.”

Xander sighed, glancing back and slowing his pace slightly. “Yes,” he said, then paused to cast a wary look around, making sure they hadn’t been followed. “It’s Cheve.” Leo mentally cursed as he finally managed to fall in step with his brother, then almost froze as Xander spoke again. “Hans has been in Chevalier since the last riot. He finally managed to make it to the old border wall; Iago just received word from him.”

_ ...Damn, _Leo thought, a well-practiced denial already rising to his lips.

The next words from the crown prince’s mouth, however, went in a wildly different direction than Leo feared. “He reports that about Hoshidan ninjas have stationed themselves near the border, and may launch an attack on our forces stationed there.”

Leo’s stride faltered as his thoughts struggled to catch up with _ that _sudden development. “Hoshidan ninjas?” he repeated. “What? How many? Are they in league with anyone in Cheve?”

“He reported perhaps a dozen, but as of this moment it’s impossible to know. However, I’m afraid we must assume the worst.”

Leo shook his head. “Gods, if they’ve done this with the knowledge of Hoshido’s crown…”

“Father will take it as an act of war, yes,” Xander replied. “You see now why I could not speak of it in the open.”

“Obviously,” Leo said. “And the plan is…?”

“Two score soldiers are to meet me at the border wall with all speed,” Xander said. “Riding hard I can make it in two days. If we strike first and wipe the Hoshidan forces out, Queen Mikoto is all but guaranteed to deny all involvement. It’s our best hope to deescalate the situation before it _ does _turn into full-scale war.”

“Good plan,” Leo agreed. “I might recommend more forces, though, in case they _ have _joined up with the Chevois—” He cut himself off, thoughts running faster than his mouth. “Perhaps we ought to send word to Nestra; I doubt the Hoshidans came across the Canyon, after all, or the Diabolan border patrol would have sent us word, so they must have arrived by boat—hold, give me a moment, let me send for Niles and I can meet you down in the stables—”

“Leo,” Xander interrupted. “You’re to stay in Krakenburg.”

Leo fell silent for a moment. “Why?” he finally asked. “I’ve spent the last two months in Cheve, would I not be a strategic asset—”

“A dozen ninjas are hardly enough cause to summon both Nohrian princes,” Xander said. “Both of us taking our leave at once might alert any allies they may have in Cheve that we know of their plans. Better for me to go, quietly, and handle it before the issue blows any more out of proportion.”

“So tell Camilla and Elise to say that I’m sick,” Leo said. “Or that we’ve gone on vacation to Macarath or something. It’s not that hard.”

Xander stopped abruptly, leaving Leo to take two more strides before pulling up short and spinning on his heel. To either side of their liege, Asmund and Viola pointedly avoided eye contact with either one of the two princes.

“What are you trying to prove, Leo?” Xander asked quietly.

“I’m not trying to prove anything,” Leo insisted, ignoring the tiny voice that screamed he _ needed to do something besides hide away behind everyone else yet again. _“I’m just pointing out, as a strategist, that you have very little justification to leave me behind and every reason to bring me.”

A long moment passed before Xander shook his head. “Stay here, Leo. There’s no need for you to come and I don’t have time to argue the point. My decision is final.”

Leo swallowed, barely suppressing a flinch as the words of another Nohrian royal rang between his ears.

_ “It is my wisdom and my cunning that has done this and I will not be questioned by you!” _

Was Xander not saying the same thing that Garon had two months ago, albeit in not quite so many words?

Was Leo ever to be anything more than a petulant child in the eyes or his father _ or _his brother?

“Very well,” Leo said tightly. “I’ll not keep you any longer, then. Godspeed, brother.”

With that, he ducked past his brother and strode back down the hallway.

“Lord Leo, wait.”

The prince inclined his head slightly as Asmund trotted after him. “Yes?”

The retainer shot him an apologetic look as he caught up. “Don’t take it personally,” he said under his breath.

“I am not,” Leo said. Lowering his tone even further, he continued, “I’m sure he has his reasons. I just cannot for the life of me discern what they are.”

“Asmund,” Xander interjected, more than a little impatience in his tone.

Asmund gave Leo another contrite half-smile, then turned back to his liege, falling once more into practiced formation. Leo watched until all three of them disappeared around the corner.

Later, he would wish he could have known he would only ever see one of them alive again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -In case it wasn't clear, since the references throughout the series have all been very subtle and the more explicit mentions this fic might have come out of the blue: Yes, Asmund and Viola have totally been married the whole time. They both came into Xander's service when he was 16 and spent the better part of four years dancing around their mutual attraction before finally getting over themselves, but once they did Xander's blessing on their marriage was immediate. They were soon wed in a quiet ceremony that featured all four of the Krakenburg siblings in attendance.
> 
> -Another subtle but very deliberate reference: the reason Viola was not present during the events of _Natural_ was because she was about a month and a half from giving birth to her and Asmund's daughter at that point in time. (Which led to Leo's very first line in the series, “Ah, yes, the great crown prince, reduced to one retainer like the rest of us mortals. It’s a wonder you survived the journey here.” This also happens to be the moment I realized I was going to ADORE writing Leo.)
> 
> -Also on the subject of their daughter, she's going to be an important character later. I won't say any more than that because of spoilers, but adjusting for the Ylisse/Nohr time gap and the fact that Heart of Stone is running quite a bit ahead of _Whatever It Takes_ at present, she's roughly the same age as Ophelia.


	2. Heart Full of Fear

_ Now the white moon is rising, blood flowing through the streets, everyone’s hiding, you’re down on your knees… (Let me be your hero, with a heart full of fear…) _

**Northern Fortress, outside Windmire, Nohr**

They hadn’t told Corrin.

They very rarely did, when it came to the more sensitive, the more risky of the missions their father sent them on. Her captivity was hard enough on her without weighing her mind with the safety of the family she couldn’t do anything to protect. The three of her remaining siblings had gone to the Northern Fortress on the first day of the new year, with a vow between Camilla and Leo that neither of them would mention anything that might alarm Corrin and Elise.

The vow lasted only a day after that.

On the second day of the year, Leo found himself stretched out in his usual spot on one of the library’s couches, listening with half an ear to the game of fox and geese Corrin and Elise were currently deep in the middle of. (Corrin was currently the fox, and Elise the geese.) He wasn’t entirely sure where Camilla was at that moment, but certainly she would join them sooner or later, and he hadn’t bothered to concern himself with it.

His quiet reverie abruptly ended by a knock on the door.

“Come in!” Elise said brightly before the visitor could announce themselves. “Hi, Gunter!”

“Lady Elise,” the old knight greeted with a tip of his head. “And Lady Corrin. Lord Leo.” Gunter stepped fully into the library, the door creaking as it swung open; he extended a folded parchment in Leo’s direction. “This was just forwarded here from Castle Krakenburg. Addressed to you, postmarked from Nestra.”

“Oooh,” Elise said. “Leo’s got maaaail.”

“Who’s writing you from _ Nestra?” _Corrin asked, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

“Thank you, Gunter,” Leo said, pointedly ignoring both his sisters.

“I dunno,” Elise said to Corrin. “I can’t think of anyone.”

“Where there any girls at the ball from Nestra?” Corrin asked. _ Oh, brother, _Leo thought.

“Oh. Hmm… wait! Yes! Lady Mathilda was there from Nestra!”

Corrin’s smirk turned wicked as Leo broke the wax on his mail. “Is she _ really?” _ she said. “How _ interesting.” _

_ “Leooooo!” _ Elise cried. “Do you have a _ girlfriend?” _

With a put upon sigh, Leo fixed both of them with a scathing look. “Lady Mathilda is on the upper side of thirty-five,” he said. “Don’t get ahead of yourselves.”

Corrin and Elise gave twin sounds of disappointment. Leo ignored that, too.

And with the suddenness of an explosion, all the air seemed to vanish from the room.

It took Leo a moment to remember how to breathe, the words on the page in front of him both swimming before his eyes and standing out in perfect clarity. He could feel the blood drain from his face so swiftly it nearly made him dizzy.

“Where’s Camilla?” he demanded, interrupting Corrin’s query on the legality of Elise’s last play.

Elise cocked her head, then “I think she’s in the bath.” Leo jumped to his feet, upsetting the stack of books on the seat beside him and ignoring the crash of hardcovers on the floor. “She might be out by now, but—Leo! What’s wrong?”

“Leo?” Corrin echoed. “Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer either of them, flinging open the library door with enough force to send it slamming into the wall behind it. “Gunter!” he shouted, thanking any power listening that the old knight hadn’t managed to leave shouting range yet. “Is Niles downstairs?”

“Indeed he is, milord,” Gunter called back. “Shall I—”

“Tell him to meet me in Camilla’s room,” Leo said. “Immediately.” Without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and strode down the hallway.

“Leo! Leo, wait!”

“Not now, Corrin,” Leo muttered, swallowing hard in a vain attempt to keep his voice from shaking. _ Please, gods, let it not be too late… _

Ignoring his protests as soundly as he had tuned out her teasing earlier, Corrin pounded after him, her bare feet slapping the cold stone tiles. “Tell me what’s going on,” she demanded, catching his arm and forcing him to pull up short—just when had she gotten so _ strong? _

“I don’t have time,” Leo said desperately, alternatively glancing up the hallway that led toward the siblings’ rooms and back down the way he came, where Elise’s pigtails bounced as she quickly caught up as well.

“Time for what?” his youngest sister asked, panting slightly.

“Tell us on the way,” Corrin said.

Leo shook his head and started moving again, even knowing he’d been backed into a metaphorical corner. He’d frightened them now—as if _ he _wasn’t frightened—and like wolves with blood in their noses, they wouldn’t let up now until they’d gotten everything he knew out of him.

He swallowed again, as if he could somehow lessen the words about to come past his lips. “It’s Xander,” he finally managed. “He’s in Cheve right now, or nearly there. There were reports of Hoshidan ninjas up by the old border wall and he went to dispatch them. About a dozen, the word was.”

“Okay,” Corrin said. “Sounds bad, but not awful.”

“I figured they probably came by sea,” Leo continued. “Nestra’s coast is open, after all; it’s only the border they share with us that’s restricted, and it would’ve been easier for Hoshidans to sneak in and make it to Cheve that way than try to come across the Canyon. So when Xander left, I sent word to Akacester, in case they had any information on recent Hoshidan companies coming through.”

“Well, did they?” Elise asked.

“They did,” Leo whispered. “And it wasn’t a dozen ninjas that came through. It was nearly two hundred.”

A squeak of horror escaped Corrin’s throat. “Are they _ all _headed for Xander?”

“I don’t know,” Leo said. “But if they are… he only brought forty soldiers. They’ll get _ slaughtered.” _ He threw himself up the last staircase three steps at a time, both girls on his heels with propriety well and truly damned. _ “Camilla!” _

He slammed his palm flat against the door with the shout of her name, ignoring his eldest sister’s startled and disgruntled murmur from within. Every moment waiting for her to answer the door dragged by in agonizing torture; finally, the wood gave way under his hand.

“Leo, I’m not sure why you’ve suddenly decided _ that _was an acceptable way to get my attention, but—” Camilla broke off at the sight of them, her sharp tone softening into quiet alarm. “What’s wrong?”

Wordlessly, Leo extended the letter in her direction, belatedly hoping that his sweat-slick palms and too-tight grip hadn’t rendered it illegible.

Camilla scanned it for a long moment, her purple hair hanging wet and unbound over her shoulders. “Is this…?”

“The company Xander went to meet,” Leo said. “I’m certain of it.”

Her gaze flicked between the three of them before landing back on Leo. “You told them,” she said.

“We made him,” Corrin admitted.

Abruptly, Camilla’s entire demeanor shifted as she spun on her heel. “One of you go send for Beruka and tell her to saddle my horse,” she said, swiftly pinning her hair up before pulling a pack out from under her bed. “I’ll ride back to Windmire and summon for every malig knight currently stationed there. By wyvern, we might make it to the wall by sundown. We can hope Xander might have been delayed on his way down, but if not, I’ll come to his aid.”

A beat passed before Leo blurted, “Take me with you.”

Camilla shot him a glance over her shoulder, her words a gentle reminder. “We’ll be flying, Leo.”

_ As if he could have forgotten that. _His throat dry, he managed, “I’ll live.”

Camilla looked as if she wanted to protest further than that, but it was Elise who interrupted next. “What about Father?”

No one spoke for a moment. “This is one case I believe it might be better to ask forgiveness rather than permission,” Camilla finally said. “He may not take our word for it and he’ll certainly not be happy I’m taking our entire aerial force with me.”

“Are you sure?” Leo asked. “He’ll be more furious if you don’t even _ ask.” _

“Then I will take the entire blame for it,” Camilla said firmly.

“I’ll talk to him,” Elise piped up. “After you both leave. I’ll tell him what happened. He won’t be very mad at me. ...Probably.”

“Elise, you don’t need to,” said Camilla. “I don’t mind taking responsibility.”

“I won’t do you any good to come with you,” Elise said, crossing her arms and sticking out her lower lip. “At least I can do _ something _to help.”

Leo took a shuddering breath, watching as twin looks of resigned determination painted themselves across both Camilla and Elise’s faces. And Corrin—

Corrin looked as if she were about to cry.

“You’ll send me word, right?” she whispered to him, her voice unsteady.

“I…” Leo started, then trailed off. He could almost feel some part of his heart shatter in his chest—even Elise could contribute in some way, yet Corrin, of course, would be stuck waiting, wondering, and _ useless. _

And it was through no fault of her own.

“As soon as you can,” she continued, her eyes beseeching. “Whatever it is.”

Leo nodded stiffly. “Of course.”

~~~

**South of the Chevois Border Wall, Nohr**

Xander had left the border wall as one man—crown prince, commander, knight of Nohr; forty of his finest were at his back.

Xander had returned to the border wall as another man entirely—bleeding, broken, mourning, and so very much alone.

Screams still echoed in his ears.

It had been an ambush. Whether Iago and Hans had deliberately delivered him false information or they hadn’t known any better themselves, there was no way around it. Even forty knights of Nohr were no match for their foes when they were outnumbered five to one.

In the beginning, they had held their own. The dozen ninjas they had expected had been closer to thrice that number, but the field had at least been nearly even with a slight advantage to Nohr. The Hoshidans had slowly but surely drawn them further into the woods, forcing the Nohrians to turtle and cover.

It was only when they were in so deep they could hardly see the plains anymore that Xander realized that three ninjas would appear for each one his own forces felled, and by then it had been far too late.

_ “Lord Xander!” _ Asmund had shouted over the thick of the fight, just as Xander began to frantically search for some way to cover their retreat. _ “You have to get out of here!” _

Xander had gritted his teeth, swung Siegfried again, and promised, _ “I’ll find you a way!” _

_ “I’m not talking about us!” _

Asmund’s words had taken a moment to sink in; when they had, Xander had spurred Skoll into a spin that placed him opposite his retainer and violently shook his head. _ “No! I won’t allow it!” _

_ “You’re too valuable to fall here, milord!” _ Viola had called from somewhere he couldn’t see. _ “You must go! We’ll cover your retreat!” _

_ “NO, Viola—” _ Xander cut himself off, Siegfried a dark blur as it hit home on its intended target. _ “We’re getting out of here. No quarter. No mercy!” _

_ “Soldiers of Nohr, to me!” _ Asmund cried. _ “Hold fast your line!” _

_ “Belay that—” _Xander shouted immediately, only to break off once more as Viola appeared from the fray, a gloved hand reaching to grip Skoll’s rein inches from the bit.

She raised her eyes to him—glassy eyes in an unsteady frame. An alarming patch of red had spread down her right side; a slice on her forehead the size of his thumb had shed enough blood that, mingled with the sweat and grime of battle, had rendered her usually distinct hair unrecognizable.

_ “Lord Xander,” _ she said softly. _ “It has been my honor and my privilege to serve you.” _

Asmund glanced back, then, as well—one final, sad smile thrown back at his liege. _ “May your reign be long,” _ he said. _ “Do us proud, old friend.” _

Viola, too, had given him a last trembling smile. _ “And—” _ she started, breaking off as her voice hitched. _ “Keep an eye on our little girl for us.” _

Xander hadn’t had time to answer, because at that moment she’d jerked Skoll’s bit sidewise. The normally mild-mannered stallion had jumped in response, tucking back on his hindquarters as he spun in the direction he’d been prompted.

_ “Hiya!” _ Viola cried, the ringing clap of her hand on Skoll’s flank sending him into a gallop.

Away from the enemy.

Away from Xander’s soldiers.

Away from Xander’s friends.

It was the last thing he ever heard her say.

_ “For Prince Xander!” _ echoed Asmund’s voice after him. _ “And the glory of Nohr!” _

~~~

**Border Wall, on the edge of Cheve, Nohr**

Skoll had come up lame two miles before the border wall. Xander had been forced to dismount; dizzy from a handful of shuriken wounds and the weight of his failure, he’d nearly fallen all the way to the ground, only managing to stay upright with a desperate grab for his stallion’s neck.

“How could I… be… so careless?” he’d rasped into Skoll’s sweat-caked hide. How had he let his pride get so much the better of him? A million paths opened up behind him, choices that could’ve changed the outcome of the battle—

That could’ve saved Asmund and Viola.

He could have requested more soldiers when he’d arrived at the border. He could’ve asked his father for a larger company in the first place. He could’ve listened to Leo—

_ Leo. _

Even Leo alone could have turned the tide of the battle, if Xander had only had the foresight to let down his pride and bring him. The Hoshidans had used to woods and the earth in their favor. Leo—and Brynhildr—could have turned their advantage into their very graves.

His little brother would’ve been worth a hundred soldiers in that fight, and Xander had been so full of hubris he’d _ thrown him away. _

“Forgive me, my friends,” he whispered, hanging limply against Skoll for a moment more before forcing himself upright. He was Nohr’s crown prince. He couldn’t afford to look back and regret, only move forward and learn.

So Xander told himself, at least, though the thought’s even crossing his mind left him feeling nothing but self-directed disgust.

_ They died for you. _

_ They traded their lives for yours. _

_ Was it worth it? _

The border guard received him with platitudes on their lips and dread in their eyes. They brought him in, gave him a room, whispered their assurances as they organized a search party, told him to rest.

Xander had the feeling their mission would be one of retrieval rather than rescue.

The crown prince of Nohr did not rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Firstly: I am so, so very sorry. I knew from the moment I created Asmund and Viola that their ends were set in stone, yet I didn't grow any less attached to them during their brief appearances in this series and it didn't make their deaths hurt any less. In fact, the moment I wrote Asmund's first lines way back in _Natural_ I knew killing them off was going to be brutal.
> 
> -On a strangely lighter note, fox and geese is a game with origins dating back to approximately the fourteenth century (according to wikipedia); It's played between two people, one as a single fox piece and one with between 13-17 geese pieces. The geese win if they succeed in trapping the fox to where he cannot move, and the fox wins if he manages to capture enough geese and/or maneuver himself to a point where the geese are no longer capable of trapping him.
> 
> -A note I forgot to point out last chapter: Leo mentions the "Diabolan border patrol" without much context, so I'll provide a little here. Diabola is a territory in western Nohr under the rule of one Duke Wilhelm. On [this map](https://serenesforest.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/fates-map-all.jpg) the majority of its territory is contained within the little triangle of rivers formed near the points of Demon's Falls, Fancy Estate, and Wastelands. They're a very heavily militarily equipped territory known for producing a large percentage of Nohr's soldiers and knights, and they are majorly responsible for defending the Nohr/Hoshido border formed by the Bottomless Canyon. We'll end up visiting Diabola quite a bit later in the series, but they'll likely be mentioned a time or two more before that.


	3. Lay It All Down

_ Now the vultures are flying, the sun’s coming up, but the steel ‘round your heart is starting to rust… (Let me be your hero, I’ll lay it all down for you…) _

**Border Wall, on the edge of Cheve, Nohr**

_ Too late. _

Leo knew it almost as soon as they landed—at least once he touched his feet to solid ground and managed to clear his head to think remotely straight again. The second prince had kept his eyes firmly shut for the entire flight down, without the blessed respite of sleep actually visiting him. Thankfully, he’d ridden on Beruka’s wyvern rather than Camilla’s, so as to prevent a stray arrow from downing both royals at once, and his elder sister’s retainer had been characteristically silent for the journey.

Camilla had managed to gather nearly fifty malig knights with unprecedented haste, a force that surely would have been enough to dispatch their foes once added to Xander’s company. _ Would have been _were the key words.

While Leo struggled to unlock his legs from being wrapped around the neck of a wyvern for untold hours, Camilla was already striding effortlessly for the gates of the border wall. The rest of the riders stayed mounted while Leo scrambled after his sister.

A fresh-faced recruit manned the gates; she snapped to attention as the two royals neared, but Camilla cut her off the moment she opened her mouth.

“Has Prince Xander yet arrived?”

The guard seemed rather taken aback but her bluntness, and called down from the parapet, “I’m not allowed to disclose who may or may not be currently assigned here, particularly not to visitors who have not yet announced themselves.”

Camilla folded her arms and lifted her chin. Leo took a moment to thank the fact that they were on the same side. “Princess Camilla and Prince Leo call upon you. Now, my dear, are you going to finish wasting all of our time and tell me where my brother is or must we find a Dragon Vein to prove our identities?”

The guard straightened. “A moment, please,” she said, disappearing from view.

Camilla, meanwhile, let out a soft sigh, her eyes falling closed as she tilted her head to one side.

“...Camilla?” Leo finally ventured after nearly a full minute had passed. “What are you…?”

“Dragon Vein,” she murmured. “I can feel one around here, but I can’t quite locate it.”

Leo cast his own gaze absently up, focusing on the faintest of tingles at his feet. Camilla was right: there _ was _a Dragon Vein nearby. Conveniently—or disastrously, depending on which side of the battle one was on—Leo thought it perfectly located to serve as a strategic counterpoint to the wall before him.

“On that hill behind us,” Leo said when he realized Camilla was staring at him curiously. “Do you suppose we’ll need it?”

“If they do not open this blasted door in another moment,” she replied.

Her words spoke prophecy, though, for just then one of the narrow entrances in the wall swung open, the guard from earlier standing in the gap. “This way,” she said lowly. “We’ll find quarters for your company shortly.”

“And my brother?” Camilla asked sharply.

The guard looked askance and murmured, “He lives.”

Camilla breathed out a muttered prayer, while Leo could only prod, “How bad was it?”

“Bad, we’re told.” The guard continued down a dim hallway, taking a lantern off a peg in the wall as they went. “It’s only thanks to his soldiers carving him a retreat that I have this news to give you at all.”

Leo shook his head slightly, resisting the muttered curse rising in his throat. “How many returned?” he finally asked.

“Returned?” the guard repeated.

Leo blinked. “Of his soldiers?”

The guard pulled up short, pity in her gaze. “Your Highnesses,” she whispered. “I’m afraid Prince Xander was the only survivor.”

~~~

_ My dearest sister Corrin, _

_ Camilla and I arrived safely at the old border wall perhaps an hour or so before this letter was penned. That is almost the only piece of good news I have to share, but for the sake of your peace of mind I will not delay on the second: Xander is alive. _

_ As for the rest, I’m afraid the word I bear is grim. My suspicions on the size of the enemy’s forces proved tragically correct. It is only due to the bravery and sacrifice of our own soldiers and his retainers that our brother still draws breath at all. I can only begin to— _

_ My apologies. I received an interruption just then with the return of the retrieval team from today’s battlefield, and I find myself so disquieted after meeting with them I cannot bring myself to continue what I had intended to say earlier. (It has been approximately two and a half hours again since I started, and I apologize once more for every minute it has kept you waiting.) The rest will have to wait until my return to Windmire, however; pen and paper hardly allow me the detail I need to expound on the situation without leaving you waiting for the rest of the week. _

_ To make a long story shorter than it deserves, Camilla will be flying back to Krakenburg on the morrow with Xander so that he may be attended by the royal healers, while I will be returning home on horseback, serving as an escort to the fallen. (I’m sure you can imagine the sort of quarrel we had on our hands with Xander over that decision, but truly he is in no shape, mentally or physically, to make the journey aground.) _

_ I know not whether Father will be insistent on Camilla and I returning to Cheve as originally planned, though I imagine he must allow us to delay for the sake of funeral arrangements. I cannot accurately recall every ceremony involved in the circumstances of royal retainers perishing in direct service to their liege—it is certainly not something I’ve ever had the desire to study—but I know our dear friends will be laid to rest with the highest of honors. _

_ I will leave this here, so that I may send it to you and set your heart at ease; at least however at ease it may be at the reception of such ill news. I mean not to frighten you, Corrin, but you know I do not care to mince my words in a vain attempt to shelter you from the realities outside, so I will say this: I truly fear what the repercussions from today will be. _

_ Yours as always, _

_ Leo _

~~~

**South of the Chevois Border Wall, Nohr**

A lone soldier rode over an hours-old battleground, breathing shallowly through his mouth to avoid the stench that still lingered.

He pulled his mount up short, gazing through the sickly winter trees that surrounded him. Nohrian and Hoshidan bodies alike had been removed in the time it had taken him to arrive, but the less savory remnants of death still remained.

A blur of black appeared in the corner of his eye only a heartbeat before a figure appeared not three feet from his horse’s shoulder. The soldier spun, lifting his lance at the stranger.

The figure stopped, lowering the cowl of his cloak to reveal a shock of red hair. “Governor Cybalt,” he greeted, amicable tone clashing with the desolate atmosphere. “You came alone.”

“You asked me to,” Cybalt pointed out, lowering his lance a fraction. “At least I’m assuming it was you.”

“It was,” the stranger said. “Though I find it interesting you actually answered.”

“Pardon me for wanting to know what’s going on in my own land,” Cybalt snapped in return. “Now who are you and what do you want?”

The stranger straightened, pomp in his tone. “I am Saizou, the fifth of my name, royal retainer to High Prince Ryouma of Hoshido. I have come on his behalf to offer our aid against your…” He paused, distaste in his tone. “Nohrian overlords.”

“I see,” Cybalt said, struggling to keep his words level. “And I’m assuming this,” he gestured around them, “was to serve as a demonstration of that aid?”

“Correct,” said Saizou. “Every aspect of this mission was orchestrated to demonstrate our capabilities. Our ninjas infiltrated Cheve undetected from the Nestran border, supplied false information to the Nohrian scouts, and set an ambush for the force they sent.” He tilted his head slightly before finishing, “And defeated them handily.”

“I see,” Cybalt said again. “And I assume that should I now accept this aid, your prince will continue to send forces?”

“Yes.”

“For what in return?”

“A foothold on the western half of the continent,” Saizou said. “And your own aid to us in return when Hoshido will inevitably clash with Nohr once again.”

Cybalt took a long moment before he dared answer. “So we’re supposed to help you now that you’ve helped us,” he said flatly. “Is that how this works?”

“Yes.”

_ “Then maybe you should have actually helped us!” _

Cybalt’s words echoed through the trees for a long moment. Saizou’s eyes finally narrowed in response. “Just what is it that you’re implying?” the ninja asked.

“Do you _ know _ whose forces you fought here today?” Cybalt demanded, composure finally lost as he jabbed a finger in the direction of a bloodstain that hadn’t quite steeped into the frozen ground. “Does your _ High Prince _ have a clue what he’s wrought? These were _ Prince Xander’s _ soldiers! The _ future king of Nohr _himself was here this day and I can only thank the gods that I’ve gotten word he survived!”

“A pity,” Saizou said. “I had hoped we eliminated all the survivors.”

“The _pity,_” Cybalt spat in return, “is that your actions today will bring _ the entire gods-damned Nohrian army _down on our heads!”

“As I said,” Saizou replied frostily, “we are prepared to offer aid—”

“Do you think King Garon will let this stand for a single moment more than it takes to rally every knight in the land? I wouldn’t be surprised to hear him decide to take to the field himself! The heir to the throne almost died on Chevois soil when our king has been _ begging _ for an excuse to put us down again! He will be here _ long _ before your beloved _ Prince Ryouma _gets off his high and mighty rear with some other act of ‘goodwill’ that will get us killed off all the quicker!” Cybalt paused his tirade, chest heaving. “And you can tell him, Saizou the Fifth, that his high and mighty rear is exactly where he can shove his so-called ‘aid.’”

Saizou had no answer for that.

“I expect your soldiers out of Cheve by nightfall,” Cybalt finally said. “If you have not made it back to Nestra by then I will give orders to my men to engage yours on sight.”

Saizou lifted a brow. “You would not see us even if we did remain.”

“I think you would still do well to take my advice,” Cybalt replied, then swung his horse around. “Now,” he said over his shoulder, “I must go and prepare my people to weather the storm you’ve brought down on them.”

_ FIN _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I think this takes the honor as the shortest chapter in the series, but it would have also made the last chapter ridiculously long if I hadn't split it, so here we are.
> 
> -I also don't have a whole lot to say on this short chapter, other than the fact there are three (3) HoS fics left and boy am I excited for all of them. The next two will be wrapping up the Cheve plotline, so brace yourselves because, well... how well can this possibly go?
> 
> -<s>What are you talking about, Chekov's Dragon Vein?</s>
> 
> -Edit to add since I just checked the word count: Heart of Stone would now be long enough to qualify for National Novel Writing Month (50k) if I had actually. You know. Written it in a month and not like seven.


End file.
